Driven: Ronn Motor Company Scorpion, the world's first 'green' supercar
by Damon Lavrinc on Mar 16th 2009 at 7:57PM 
Ronn Motor Company Scorpion - Click above for a high-res gallery
Driving prototypes is practically useless. It's next to impossible to get a feel for what the production version is capable of and you rarely get a chance to explore the limits. Our time with the Ronn Motor Company Scorpion didn't change that fact, but it did give us a glimpse into the upstart's future and how its program is progressing since the concept's introduction at last year's SEMA show. Tooling around Sacramento in the V6-powered, hydrogen-injected roadster, the unmuffled exhaust made us almost as uncomfortable as the lack of seat-belts. But to the company's credit, the Scorpion is a rarity in the show-car world – a concept that actually drives. So when the call came from Texas to get some wheel-time in the Scorpion, we jumped at the chance. Hell, Arnold Schwarzenegger personally invited the Ronn Motors crew to the Capitol to get a closer look. Who are we to deny court with the Governator?
Gallery: Driven: Ronn Motors Scorpion
Photos copyright ©2009 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc.
Now, before you step up to the commenting plate and knock a few softballs off the Scorpion's styling, understand that it's more attractive in person than in pictures, and it made the transition from the computer screen to a tube-framed, carbon fiber-bodied proof-of-concept runner in a scant 12 weeks. The low-slung front-end, swept-back headlamps, hood vents and bulbous fenders do their best supercar imitation, while the massive air-intakes aft of the front doors are large enough to swallow a 'tween. The rear track is reminiscent of a Diablo left in a microwave, and although we wouldn't call the overall shape "pretty," it does exude an air of '90s-era exuberance. Too bad things go awry in the rear, with a back end that's less J-Lo and more Eddie Murphy in a fat suit.
The environment inside is a different story thanks to a steering wheel pilfered from the Acura parts bin and a shifter any Hondaphile would recognize instantly. The semi-slab seats are one-offs, along with the dash, massive center tunnel, door panels and carbon fiber gauge cluster that houses the Autometer-supplied tach, speedo, temp and fuel dials. On the inside of the left A-pillar is a small LED that glows blue when the hydrogen injection system kicks in, which is where the Scorpion differs from the slew of kit-car manufacturers trying to make their name in a sea of over-hyped, under-funded ambition.
Nestled within that bodacious badonkadonk is a twin-turbocharged, Acura-sourced 3.5-liter V6 mounted amidships. Depending on the spec, the Scorpion can be had in two flavors – 450 or 650 horsepower – each equipped with the company's proprietary H2GO hydrogen injection system.
The idea behind the setup is to produce enough hydrogen on board and inject it into the fuel stream to get the benefits of the gas (increased fuel economy, higher octane and reduced emissions) without having to top up at non-existent hydrogen refueling stations. Combined with the ultra-efficient V6, Ronn Motors claims a boost in mileage of around 20 to 30% and a substantial drop in C02 output. With only 2,200 pounds weighing the Scorpion down, the company estimates fuel mileage at around 40 miles-per-gallon.
One of the major hurdles to overcome when creating hydrogen in an automotive application is producing enough electricity to split the water molecules without drawing too much energy from the vehicle's electrical system, thus negating the positive effects. The Ronn Motors crew claims the stock alternator doesn't need to be modified, although the lack of interior amenities compared to the Scorpion's drivetrain donor (Acura TL) means there's more wattage available from the onset. According to Ronn Maxwell, the company's founder and namesake, "We're not trying to run this motor on pure hydrogen gas. It doesn't take much [hydrogen] to get the benefits."
Although Mr. Maxwell and his team are confident in the technology, they'll need more than engineering expertise to defeat the negative publicity surrounding similar systems. Do a search for "hydrogen injection" and you'll be bombarded with countless companies claiming a variety of benefits from their own devices. While some of these firms have been exposed as scams, preying on punch-drunk consumers bowled over by last summer's surge in gas prices, the jury is still out and Ronn Motors is out to prove its detractors wrong.
The company contends that their H2GO setup is a more holistic, total system approach that allows Ronn Motors to develop the injection system into the vehicle from the beginning. Without performing a battery of tests, we can't confirm or deny their claims, but we're hoping that when production begins this fall, we'll be afforded a follow-up test that allows more drive-time, a chance to calculate overall fuel economy and maybe a stint on the dyno.
Tech briefing and green cred aside, we fired up the engine and the bent-six's siren song was barely muffled by the Turbonetics turbos. We engaged the stiff clutch, selected first on the weighty shifter, let up on the left peddle and got underway.
As suspected, this is still very much a prototype, so the steering is lacking on-center feel and it takes a considerable amount of muscle to tackle the first right-hand bend. A judicious dip of the throttle sends the tach spiraling to the right as all 450 hp is fed through a lightened flywheel down to a standard limited-slip differential. Just as the experience transitions from turbocharged torque to high-revving bliss, our fun is cut short by a 4,500-rpm rev limiter (it's an engineering mule after all, so expect something closer to 8k in production trim) and the wastegates fire off with enough gusto to give SRT4 owners bouts of blow-off valve envy.
After making our way past second and third gear, we engage the anchors, and although the pedal travels past the half-way point before the Wilwood calipers begin to clamp down onto four, 12-inch slotted discs, the feel is tight and controlled, if not entirely confidence-inspiring.
Visibility is somewhat compromised by the concept's slanted windshield and the back-up camera is a necessity when attempting to park. Although the ride-height has been increased from its show stand stance, the independent suspension, equipped with fully-adjustable coilovers, does little to cushion the blow from the 20x9-inch (front) and 20x11-inch (rear) wheels fitted with Toyo Proxies T1R rubber (sized 255/30 and 305/30, respectively).
After a few more passes and a handful of U-turns, we park the Scorpion to let things cool (a small, rear-mounted radiator is fitted for photo-shoots, while a larger unit is equipped for testing) and quiz Ronn on what's due to change as the Scorpion evolves from prototype to production.
The exterior's shape will supposedly make the transition unscathed, although the interior will benefit from a complete redesign with a thinner center console and a few ergonomic tweaks. A six-speed automatic (also sourced from Acura) is under development, complete with revised gears ratios and paddle shifters, along with a retractable roof housed behind the seats and deployed Gallardo-style.
If you get the impression that Maxwell, Kuhn and the rest of the Ronn Motor crew have a lot of work ahead of them, you're right. The concept we drove is a solid first step, and judging by Ronn's resolve and the partnership his company's forged with Southern California-based Metalcrafters (the same fabrication gurus responsible for building the concept as well as dozens of others for big-name automakers) to produce the Scorpion, we're far less skeptical about the supercar's future.
Gallery: Driven: Ronn Motors Scorpion
Photos copyright ©2009 Brad Wood / Weblogs, Inc.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
NeilBlanchard 9:04PM (3/16/2009)
Hmm,
I think the benefits of this sort of hydrogen system are questionable, to say the least. They have no hard numbers to back things up? 450HP ain't going to get the best economy from a car this size.
What's the point of this car? It isn't green, that's for sure.
Neil
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zapperdude60 9:59PM (3/16/2009)
acura steering wheel
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stevezilla 10:01PM (3/16/2009)
I've been following this "green" H2GO system for a while, and the claims are dubious at best, impossible at worst.
"The idea behind the setup is to produce enough hydrogen on board and inject it into the fuel stream to get the benefits of the gas"
The energy used to separate hydrogen from water molecules will outweigh the energy gained by burning said hydrogen. This isn't green; it's only slightly less black.
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Chris M 10:02PM (3/16/2009)
No, this is NOT the "worlds first green supercar".
First off, the Tesla Roadster prototypes were on the road years before and are already in production. So, the Tesla Roadster was First (unless you count the TZero...).
2nd, it isn't really all that "green", being powered by a big honkin' 3.5-liter V6 engine guzzling gasoline. Adding "hydrogen injection" does not make it "green". The small size and light weight may allow a fairly good fuel economy, but no better than other similarly designed cars with similar performance - and it guzzles a lot more gas than a bigger roomier hybrid that can carry 4 passengers!
The H2/O2 gas from the electrolyzer displaces air and leaves less O2 to burn petrol, so less petrol is injected and the fuel consumption is reduced. But the energy from burning the H2/O2 is much less than the fuel/air mixture it displaces, so power and performance are reduced - not good for a "supercar"! Of course, they might have it set up to switch the electrolyzer OFF when high performance is desired, and switch it on while cruising to effectively throttle down the engine.
Sorry, a hybrid design supercar would do it better. We've already seen more than one electric supercar, and we'll likely see some hybrid supercars soon.
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tankd0g 1:01AM (3/17/2009)
Tesla is a super car now? with it's 125mph top speed? Autobloggreen FAIL.
Brn 1:58AM (3/17/2009)
The Tesla is a neat car, but I gotta go with tankdog on this one. Supercars are blowing past 200mph (some past 250mph). The 125mph top speed for the Tesla keeps from consideration.
jpm 10:02PM (3/16/2009)
who cares?
the economy sucks, show us affordable cars please...
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BoneHeadOtto 8:21AM (3/17/2009)
Supercar??!!?? more like Kit Car. Those who design super cars can afford to design their own steering wheel rather than rebrand an Acura wheel.
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gorr 10:54AM (3/17/2009)
I wish them well but putting all these pieces together, steering geometry, suspention geometry, parts balancing, body works, chassis design, interior design and fit and finnish, electrical components, this will cost millions and millions trying to build a ferrari like car. If they come from nowhere without huge amonth of money and lots of technicians, i don't know how they can succeed of building a succesfull road car, even tesla with tons of money is unable to be profitable with a cheaper concept.
I said and i repeat, put one such h2o system in an already build car like a used civic or dodge magnum hemi and put it on sale near where i live, i will enjoy 40 mpg and up for a big muscular magnum or 80 mpg for a regular civic. No need to invent a carburation system along a complete new car. Let's enjoy h2o injection first then slowly evoluate the concept up to a flying car in 5 years.
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Mike 4:06PM (3/19/2009)
It's a shame this article is bombarded with the same arrogant short-sighted idiots that haven't got a clue when it comes to hydrogen injection. Wake up people! It's not about burning the hydroxy and the gains you get specifically from burning it. Adding hydroxy to the fuel helps the vehicle burn more of every droplet of gasoline injected into the combustion chamber. It's proven.
And why are we injecting fuel droplets in a fine mist, instead of FULLY VAPORIZED FUEL in this day and age? Why do we dump unburned leftover fuel droplets into our catalytic converters to heat them and then burn even more unburned fuel down to it's elemental components, when instead we could be burning ALL the fuel in the engine and using it to produce power and not pollution! Think about these things and ask yourself what there is to gain from bad fuel economy for big interests:
Govt- They have fuel tax, benefit in the billions of dollars
Car companies- unburned fuel causes engines to wear faster and you to buy another vehicle sooner
Oil Companies- Obviously they stand to make the most...and can lobby the other two to keep things the same
It's not paranoia. It's truth. Investigate yourself.
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szsrobert 11:16AM (3/23/2009)
Hi!This car is not green.
The solar-cell, and wind generator-powered electric vehicles are the really green vehicles.The electric bikes with solar cells are the best choices.
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esoxlucios 11:09PM (5/14/2009)
Earlier today, I spoke with Jack Eversull (jack@theeversullgroup.com), Ronn's investor-relations firm. Eversull seemed genuine and, although he characterized the company as a "start up," he was encouraged by Ron Maxwell's innovations, drive and personal integrity. Eversull said that they've been in meetings with Frigette Energy Systems all week about manufacture of the H2GO system. Eversull says a contract is already in place and that there are no condition precedents thereto and that Frigette is tooling up to manufacture it for a cost of $999.00 per unit to consumers. I've placed a call to Frigette and am awaiting a call back. Although the consensus is that HHO products don't work (see, e.g.,
http://www.origin.popularmechanics.com/automotive/how_to/4310717.html) it seems unlikely that Frigette would tool up to manufacture a $1,000 computerized gadget that has no demonstrable, palpable benefit.
Eversull said he believes that "several people" are trying out the H2GO system in their vehicles and have reported positive results. I didn't press him for names, because I got the impression he probably didn't have that granular of information. He also believes that they
have received deposits for a total of fifteen (15) Scorpions (at last count (according to the company's December, 2008 financial statement,* it appears they've received only three (3) orders).
I then spoke with Doug Watkins (aamcoHouston@comcast.net), an owner of three Houston area AAMCO Transmission franchise shops (formerly known locally as Cottman Transmission) mentioned in this press release from last month (http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/markets/industries/real-estate/ronn-motor-company-begin-field-training-select-aamco-dealers-installation/). Contrary to the press release, Watkins is not the owner of Drive Train Service, Inc. Also contrary to the press release, the arrangement was to try this out in only one (not four) of his stores and that arrangement is on hold until Frigette has produced product.
I found Watkins to be sincere and approachable. He said that AAMCO corporate rebuffed Ronn Motors' overture, ostensibly leaving Watkins with the option to distribute the product through one or more of his privately owned AAMCO franchise locations. Ronn Motors has promised Watkins to have a system for him to try by the end of May on one of his pick-up trucks (an '06 Dodge Cummins turbo-diesel), but he doesn't realistically expect it to be available until mid to late June. He indicated that they've recently come to the conclusion that the system doesn't produce substantive benefits in small-engine cars (which seems to jive with a previous comment, above, about claimed efficiencies in larger diesel motors) and that they've also learned that a one-product-fits-all solution is not feasible, because of issues with the O2 sensor calibration (which also is consonant with that same commenter, above).
However, Watkins confirmed that the system does not involve any kind of ECU modification or fuel mapping changes (to fool the engine into running leaner), but noted that it has its own self-contained computer for monitoring the injection mixture. Watkins says he's been informed that the product has produced positive results in large-engine vehicles, which may explain why the current fleet tests are targeted at trucks. Moreover, Watkins says that, to his knowledge, only one individual --the President of Frigette Energy-- is actually running the H2GO system. He quoted the President as noticing a 6 mpg improvement in mileage and saying, "my truck seems to run a lot better."
Watkins also characterized Maxwell as a dynamic inventor (of many various gadgets), who obviously believes in his own company, as evidenced by his purchase of a development facility, an in-shop dyno and that he retained "Lockheed to design their computers." This observation is consistent with one of the comments (above) about personal pride and investment in this venture.
My feeling is that, if there is any demonstrable efficiencies (defined as reducing emissions, improving economy, or both) in diesel motors but not in gas, the Ronn Motors supercar concept still has an intriguing future, because --as Gale Banks (Gale Banks Engineering) has conclusively established-- diesels have much greater potential for turbo-charging and supercharging racing applications without the octane/knocking issues inherent with gasoline engines.
Sean
* https://www.otciq.com/otciq/ajax/showFinancialReportById.pdf?id=18916
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